One of these Nights
by Pretenders
Summary: Strange, was all she could only use to describe it all. How could one's life completely change in less than a week, was all strange. Especially when it was because she didn't want to lose her identity. COMPLETE. Romance. Second in PPG Series. A/N: I'm unable to edit and save changes to this story, there must be a problem with Doc Man.


Professor Utonium pushed up a pair of spectacles high enough on the bridge of his nose, concentrating on the mixture of chemicals in his test tube, a blue hue tingling the pores on his face. It was a new concoction he was experimenting with, it's purpose still yet to be confirmed successful.

Lately, Townsville's weather system was reacting inadequately. It's predictions were far off the mark, leaving cold days to be read as hot days, snowy days to be labeled sunny days, and the other way around. It hadn't sounded like a big deal.

Until a break out of the flu emerged, and the city experienced a small (since the Professor worked quickly to cure everyone) epidemic due to the quick spreading of the sickness. Bubbles even lay under the weather because of the many cheerleaders who caught the illness due to their inappropriate attire during a cold football game.

It all lead to his determination to fix the weather machine.

He was reviewing all components of the blue liquid, it's design to be a cleanser for the filter of the machine, ensuring it work precisely the way it should even if anything questionable interrupted it's scanners inside that were very hard to keep maintained.

"What'cha workin' on, Professor?"

Although sweet and pure, Bubbles gave the Professor a jump from her silent entrance behind him, "Darling! You scared me!"

"I'm sorry, I thought I made enough noise. You must really be focused on your project,"

He chuckled, "Very. It's not going to fail this time, I've already tried twice, and I do believe the third time is always the charm,"

She smiled, eying how his hands trembled just slightly as he measured out a clear substance, "I think you'll nail it this time. I also came down here to ask about Buttercup and Blossom, they haven't came home, yet,"

"They haven't?" He turned to glance at the clock on the wall, noticing that school ended nearly an hour ago, "Knowing Blossom, she's probably studying at the library. As for Buttercup, maybe she's getting in more practice,"

"I don't know, it is raining outside, and you know how much we hate the rain. It makes it real hard for us to fly,"

"Even more of a reason not to leave school and to just wait the storm out,"

She sighed, "I'm just bored! You've been in the lab all day, no one has spent some time with me since I've been sick. It's no fun,"

"Darling, I'm sure your sisters will be home soon, the rain can't be that bad!"

Meanwhile, Blossom held a soaked book bag over her head, glaring at the sky.

"How bad is this storm going to be!" She had been wearing a uniform made for warmer weather, with a skirt and stockings.

A car pulled up, and a girl beside her, matching her attire, gave a small squeeze to her arm, "My dad's here, I got to go. Listen, don't wait for the storm to settle, I can give you a ride,"

"No, no, Professor said he'd be here today, he said he had a surprise for me..."

"Ok, then, but go home if you're waiting here too long,"

Blossom smiled lightly, watching her friend run off to her father's car. She sighed heavily, becoming less and less certain if today was the day Professor asked her to wait for him.

Growing aches in her arms from carrying her book bag made her finally cave in and throw them down to her sides. The rain immediately began pouring all over her rich, rouge hair.

She couldn't fly in the rain, it would be too cold to, and the raining made it a pain to navigate. The only choice was to walk home, and hopefully spot Professor on the way.

Outside was a picturesque scene of a grey, rainy day. Not many citizens were out, and scattered paper weighed against the sidewalks from the thick rain.

"Excuse me, miss?"

Blossom looked toward the man, soaked and hand shaking against the cold, "Uh.. Yes, sir?"

"Do you happen to have any change? Anything?"

Hesitant, she nodded, opening her book bag for her coin purse. The rain made it hard to see, and her papers began to become ruined from exposure to the rain. She muttered a curse under her breath, but luckily found the coin purse soon after.

She smiled as she gave the man most of what was left, making to wish him a good day and leave.

The times in Townsville changed when she began junior high. There weren't many monsters, nor were there any serious threats after Mojo's career came to an end. His terrorizing of Townsville began to dwindle once she turned into her teen years, and before she could ever imagine, Mojo simply disappeared from town, with the Mayor announcing his possible retirement from evil.

Due to all the change in the threats of Townsville, Blossom still made it her duty to protect her people. Whether if it was flying to a cat stuck in a tree, or in those case, giving to the poor, she did all possible to feel what she used to many years ago.

Unaware of the stray cat creeping up to her book bag, interested in a source of food he sniffed out, she turned to close her bag, and seeing his last chance to snab a meal, the cat swiftly bit the strap and ran for his life.

"Hey, hey! Come back!"

Blossom ran after the feline, her feet lifting from the pavement as she flew just barely to catch up to the stray animal. It ran rapidly across the street, dragging her bag against the wet road without a care to her belongings.

"Stop it, cat! Stop!" She followed it to a shadowed alley with a dead end just farther down, and littered with trash.

The cat ran into a dumpster, hauling her book bag inside, and she closed in after it. Opening the horribly stenched can, she reached in to retrieve her bag.

"Ugh! You stupid cat, give me my—ouch!" Her hand came back to her instantly at the sensation of a painful scratch, a small tinge of redness seeping from the tip of her finger.

She sucked her finger, trying to subdue the pain, "I can't believe this is happening to me," she inspected the wound, "...Ow, this is probably infected, who knows where this cat has been,"

"This isn't exactly the alley you want to be alone in,"

Deep and intimating, the voice echoed down the alley to her ears. Blossom faced the man, just a few inches taller than her, but of great structure. His face was shadowed by a lifted hood, and his hands buried in the pocket of his denim jeans.

"It wasn't my idea to be here," she wasn't fathomed by his alpha male aura, "I'm just trying to get my book bag,"

"If it's in this alley, it's mine now, so beat it!"

His hostility made her raise a brow, the pain on her finger cured as she glared at the man, "Excuse me?"

"I don't repeat myself. You have five seconds before I do to you what I do to those who don't listen to me,"

"Uh-huh, and just who are you to be threatening me?"

They stood their grounds, neither one reacting to the other the way they expected.

"So?"

Her hand rested on her hip, the inner sassiness she portrayed mostly to her sisters exposed.

"Are you going to spill me the details?"

"You listen to me, not the other way around," His hands came out of his pocket, as he now cracked his knuckles, walking towards Blossom.

"I don't know who's afraid of you, but I'm not," he halted his footsteps after she spoke, "Keep coming closer, I know how to defend myself against jerks like yourself,"

He was now feet away from her, closing the distance with each step. She scoffed, "I guess you're mister macho of this alley. Sorry to make this difficult, but, I'm the one who deals justice in this town,"

"Oh, really?" He asked, dark and severe.

His voice sent a shiver through her body, but she knew she'd heard worse, and even seen monsters more terrifying.

"Yeah, so this is your last chance to back off,"

It didn't do anything, for the moment he was arms length away from her, he swung his fist at her figure. She reacted instantly, catching his fist in her hand, but her eyes widened as she realized how much brute force was weighing down into her hand. His other hand came at her for a second time, and she, too, caught it midway, using all her strength to hold him back.

"What do you think you're doing!" She yelled to him, looking for a way out of the alley that suddenly became darker than the sky above.

She was beginning to lose her grip on his wet fists, losing balance on her heel and releasing one out of instinct to catch her fall. His liberal hand darted to her throat, etching his fingers around her neck, intending to injure her and perhaps prevent her from breathing all together.

Struggling to fight against his hold, he released her neck, pushing her to the wet ground. Her thin skirt became drenched from the puddle, seeping through to the fabric of her underwear and leaving her with filthy bottoms and a bruised neck.

The uncomfortable, drenched fabric made her emotions rage, "You're an absolute asshole! Do you know what the Powerpuff Girls do to jerks like you?"

An echo of uncontainable laughter followed, as he hunched over, unable to silence his outburst.

"We put you in jail! For life!"

She made him fall to his knees, laughing darkly at her while she scowled at him. Lifting herself up, she kicked a puddle of water in front of her, wetting the man. His laughter siezed and a silence of the unknown rang in her ears.

This man was strong, making her alert of his every move. Standing up from the ground, he reached for his hood, pulling it down as he stared at her taken expression.

"You couldn't put me in jail," he chuckled, "even if you tried,"

It was as if a mirror of all the right features, now masculine and redefined, shattered a memory of long ago. She'd never remember what he looked like when she was only a child. This transformation of matureness now replaced childish, large, red eyes.

"But it's not as if you ever tried, I expect you to never fail me. And seeing you scared.. I have to admit, it did revive the evil inside me,"

"Your evil never died, you were born with it, but I'll make sure to stop it," she watched the corner of his lips raise, and the movement of arms rising as he threw his jacket over his shoulders and onto the floor.

He flexed his chest, the shadows of his curves emphasizing the countless scars and healed gashes that stained his body, "This is how many times you've tried. You'll never stop me. You'll only control it... temporarily,"

"You're going to be destroyed again, someday, and I'll be the one who does it,"

"I'm not interested in you, Powderpuff," he came closer, "I've forgotten about you long ago. You may come out to protect this shithole when I have my fun, but it doesn't phase me... You're weak, but I won't deny what you're only worth is..."

He trailed his gaze downwards, for a second filling his breath with lust before looking back to her frustrated orbs. Their stares, intense and loathsome, mingled in the humidity of the rain, while Blossom backed away as he approached closer.

"C'mon now, just give in, Powderpuff. I'll overpower you, I've proved it so,"

She spat, "You're a pig,"

"But you dream of me, as disgusting as I am, I'm exactly what the naughty inside you desires,"

"I'll never want you," her back touched a wall, and she realized the only way out was to fly.

His bare chest lifted slightly, as his hand came to the side of her face, while the other laying flat on the wall as he leaned into her private air, "You say that now, but I know it all. You interest my hallow desire, Powderpuff, it's only understandable that my opposite, yet my equal, would manage to do so..."

She pulled herself away from staring back at him, smacking his hand from her face, "What knowledge do you have beside animalistic instinct? You'd be the last man I'd ever sleep with!"

"Only the good are always dishonest. How ironic..."

"Dishonesty would be giving in. I stay true to myself, I wouldn't betray my morale for bitter, worthlessness!" Using her leg in between his legs to weaken him, she released herself from beneath him.

His reaction was short, almost inconclusive to the pain she must have dealt. Gripping her arm before she made her getaway, he smirked as she turned to him with shock, "You don't hurt me, not surprising. But that should prove how fable you are compared to me." His smirk fell, now frowning as he spat, "Just like that boyfriend of yours,"

Shouting as she tugged her arm from his grip, "You don't know me!"

"—He's weak, limp, and pathetic,"

Her boyfriend, head of the student body and choice for valedictorian, a young man with the heart of golf who loved her since Poakey Oats Elementary, had been the only one in her love life. She was infatuated with him since she explored the meaning of love, but she remained pure, and allowed their love to grow untouched.

But as she grew older, love's meaning began to change, and her infatuation begun to wilt. She had plans to tell him earlier, but she didn't want to ruin the Professor's surprise with her guilt of doing so.

Focused on her thoughts, she wrinkled her eyes closed, all her might concentrated on what was left of her will to get away.

The only way out was up, up into the rain, "Brick..."

"I know you never expected to see me, yet alone ever speak my name again,"

"I wish you stayed wherever you were that kept you out of my life..." there was hardly any weight of sound to her voice.

"So do I," he forced himself to loosen his grip, "but all good things come to an end. Even good people."

Suddenly, he let go, flying back to his hood, retrieving it, and leaving her alone.

Her mind has gone blank, unable to make sense of what occurred between her and her greatest rival.

She must have really been infected by that stray cat. She was hallucinating, she believed, probably day dreaming because of the unfortunate weather.

"Professor!" She realized how dark it had become, "Ugh, stupid cat!" She cursed, running out of the alley before anymore day dreaming happened.

"Look, I don't know where she's at, ok? I only stayed for that stupid meeting for graduation, telling us what we already know," Buttercup spoke with a full mouth of her sandwich.

"Well, I missed it, what did they say?" Bubbles chimed.

Buttercup abruptly paused her chewing, "Bubbles... What do you do when you graduate?"

Bubbles opened her mouth, silent and choked from answering. She thought about it, many visions of post graduation coming to her.

Buttercup rolled her eyes, muttering as she left with a handful of chips, "Jeez, cheerleader disease didn't skip you,"

"Uh, wait! What is it..." Bubbles ran after her sister, her voice fading as she ran down the hall and out of Professor's reach.

He sighed, shaking his head lovingly at his daughter, but slowly became worried after looking at the clock for the fifth time in just ten minutes. There was no such thing as minutes, or waiting, or sitting around for a parent. He got up, grabbing his keys as he turned the front door to look for Blossom.

Surprisingly, he opened the door just as Blossom set out to do the same.

"Blossom!" He gleefully said, taking his coat from the hanger to wrap around her wet form.

Buttercup's footsteps came running down the hall, "Bloss! You're nerdy boyfriend was looking for you after school!"

Professor now had other things to worry about, "What? What are you saying, Buttercup?"

"Blossom's boyfriend," Buttercup raised a brow, "You know? That boy who looks like a younger version of you? He's all into science,"

"Oh!" Professor laughed, "He's becoming a great prodigy at the science facility, he's been experimenting successfully..."

Blossom's mind started to wander away from the reality before her, thinking of her boyfriend and her decisions she hadn't let him know about. There was indescribable pain along with loneliness that she sensed was coming. She then began to question if he'd sensed it.

"He has an established future, that boy," Professor hugged Blossom, bringing her senses back, "You chose right, Blossom,"

"Oh..." Blossom smiled dimly, "Thank-you, Professor,"

"Of course, only the best for my girls,"

"I'm going to... Um, call it a night,"

Professor watched Blossom as she walked off, "Is everything ok?"

"Yes, everything's fine, I'm just tired and I really need a bath," she faked a grand smile.

It worked.

"Ok, then, dear. You two should do the same, it's quite late,"

The two followed off into their rooms, shutting themselves off in their privacy. Blossom let the water run for too long, and sat in the bath longer than the hot water, the freezing cold waking her up from deep thoughts.

Falling in a sleep was strangely peaceful. Quiet, and undisturbed. She slept with little on, a soft night gown barely caressing her insecurities with a shadow.

"I've figured it out, Bloss! It's the filter, it needs a cleansing solution," the man beside her picked up his glasses in the same motion as the Professor, showing off his chart to her, "It's so simple,"

"That's wonderful," Blossom smiled lovingly at him, returning his small peck on her lips, yet feelings of remorse crept inside her.

"Dexter!" A voice called out.

They both looked to the science teacher, recruiting Dexter to the beginnings of the after school club he was invested in.

Shockingly, Dexter waved the teacher off, "Not today, Mr. Fletcher!"

"Dexter?" Blossom stood uncertain as she felt Dexter reach for her hand.

"C'mon, I've got a surprise for you,"

The two ran off to the outskirts of the school's boundaries, leaving to the main square of Townsville. Blossom was familiar with the way they were headed, very sure that she was being taken to the county's science facility.

"Dex, you know I'm not into the whole science stuff," she sighed.

Dexter squeezed her hand, and a look adorned his features that made her regret being unwilling to follow him, "Trust me, you'll want to see this,"

As they walked past the gates and further in the laboratory, Blossom felt sickened by the experiments in glass jars, some floating and clearly alive. She felt somewhat attached to the creatures in the laboratory. After all, she shared a similar existence with them. Science created her, she wasn't entirely human, although she begged to differ.

Feeling the way she did, there was no way there was no human in her.

"Ah, you must be the renowned Powerpuff, Miss Blossom,"

Blossom faced the clad, typical scientist in front of her, an older man with a kind face, "Yes," she shook his hand, "Yes, I am, sir,"

"I see the look on your face, you're not intrigued enough!" The man laughed, "But your feelings will change. Please, follow me,"

Dexter remained beside her as they followed the scientist to a locked room. Inside the room was dim, with only a bright spotlight concentrated on a chamber in the middle. Something triggered a feeling a fear from the sight of it.

Dexter stood in front of the chamber, "Blossom, this is my latest invention, and I dedicate it to you... To us,"

She didn't speak.

"This is going to change our future," he brought her forward, "And your sisters, too!"

Blossom couldn't take her eyes off of the chamber.

"This is going to make you human," he paused, shook his head, and smiled, "I mean, it's going to make it able for you to extract the chemical X from your blood stream, and make it so that we can..."

Her face twisted as she looked to Dexter, but nothing made him question the expression.

"Have a family."

She choked on the sick swirl in her stomach, none of this made her happy, intrigued, or even the slightest of blessed.

"Dexter, I have to go," as she spoke, the taste in her mouth became sour.

"Why? Don't you want me to explain the mastery behind it? This is going to make my name untouchable,"

Her nose ached, and her eyes swelled, "I'm happy for you,"

"Me? Blossom, this is us, this is our future, without this, the Chemical X in your body will continue to multiply until it poisons you from the inside," he gave a scoff, "What? Did you think something like that in your bloodstream would make you and our children immune? It's a poison, it kills,"

Blossom couldn't take this all in one swallow, not even if she was told at a pace, "Dexter, this... I just need some time to... Think..."

"I understand, the brilliance is overwhelming," he smiled at her retreating form, being escorted out from the scientists, "I'm going to stay to test the solution, I'll call you tonight!"

Outside, the feelings became unavoidable, seeping through to her eyes and releasing its pressure from within. Running from the facility, she didn't look back, permanently promising herself never to return to the place.

Running without a thought, relying on instinctual memory to guide her safely home, Blossom fell off a cloud she hoped wouldn't evaporate beneath her. As if the clouds above knew of her predicament, the rain started to pour.

It poured onto the unaware citizens as they ran for cover, hiding from the rain. Before she knew it, she was alone on the street as her memory strayed off the path of home, and onto a dream.

Her feet stopped once she realized where she was headed.

Sucking in a sob, she turned to look down an obscure alley, an overflowing dumpster bringing her to recall the stray cat, the rain, and her book bag.

"I never did figure out why it went missing..." She thought, remembering the dream she experienced here because of the rain, running home after she awoke without her book bag, "Stupid cat and his scratch!"

She went for the dumpster, leaning over the edge and began to dig through the dirt. Cursing from the horrible scent and the spoiled food surrounding the trash.

"Looking for this?"

Startled, she jumped out of the dumpster, fixing herself from the trash that stuck to her outfit. In his hands was her book bag, dry and stained, but in one piece.

"Sir, Thank-you for finding my bag," she smiled as she approached to grab her bag, but the man yanked it away, "What's your problem?"

He didn't reply, merely held onto her bag from out of her reach. A shadow from his hood made her recall something distant. She watched him, and allowed her nerves to control her hand as she latched out to tear his hood from his head.

It must be her dreaming, again. The rain was pouring without remorse, she must have slipped and now she was unconscious, dreaming of her rival meeting her under a turn of events in an isolated alley.

"I'm not in the mood to fight...," she turned away.

He couldn't read her well, and he didn't try, the more depressed she became, the more will he had to live.

"Just please... Give me my bag,"

"You're just too easy," he lowered the bag as her back faced him, "since when did the Powderpuff leader become an easy target?"

She knew why she didn't care. It was a book bag, filled with useless pieces of paper with scribbles of a solution to her work, and junk she hadn't gotten the chance to throw out. It meant little to her, there was no reason to fight for it. She made it an entire school day without it, she truly didn't need it.

"Keep it, I'm not going to stand here and argue with you for it,"

"There's some pretty important stuff in here,"

"I don't doubt a crook, and a thief like you wouldn't waste going through a woman's bag,"

He laughed, "Stealing bags isn't my thing, I'm not a professional at it. I claim expertise in other areas,"

"Like being a complete douche? You should start a school, become the principal, give birth to a nation of dimwits who don't have morale or a will,"

Holding back his grin, he looked to her cooly, "Teaching sound more like your future,"

The word made her struggle to remain hidden of any tears that came up, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of him.

He chuckled, "but if that ever becomes the case, I'd hope you're teaching what you know best," he skimmed over her school uniform with slow movement.

"You're a pig," it came off her tongue as if she'd said it before.

He hadn't yet discovered the meaning behind teasing, but this transition from physical fighting to exchanging scornful stares and sour words made him find more enjoyment.

"As disgusting as I am, I'm exactly what the bad inside you craves,"

Taken aback by his reply, and the shortening distance between them, Blossom flew back to greater the length.

"Why do you fight it, Powderpuff?"

"I wouldn't want you even if you saved my life," she clenched her fist, the memory of earlier awakening the anger she ignored while she had run away. She had grand control over herself, but this meeting with him in this alley was exactly what she didn't need.

If it wasn't a dream, if he truly was back, why wasn't he more hostile or threatening to her than what he was the day before?

After all, she was going to die, Dexter made that clear. It may have explained why she fought to match his strengths, he may somehow have been immune to the Chemical X naturally.

Dawning on her that he didn't seem weakened by the Chemical X, she began to realize that he may be useful to her survival without that chamber that Dexter invented.

"I can't save you, even if I was born good," he put the strap of her bag over his shoulder, walking away, "Powderpuff, I may not be good, and never will be, but you... There's bad in you, and hiding it forever will ruin you...,"

"Wait!"

He grinned, hovering over the ground, "Ready to join me?"

"Do you know anything about the Chemical X that's in us?"

His mood completely changed. Almost as if his breathing seized to exist. The air became sinister as he turned to look over his shoulder to her, his eyes empty of any humor he expressed before.

"Did they tell you?" She felt a heaviness in her chest, "I was told it's a—"

"Poison."

"Yes...," she'd be mistaken if she'd seen an expression of guilt on his face, but it seemed so genuine, it had to mean something.

"All these years and they managed to just tell you now," he began to click his tongue, "Powderpuff, I've long known that the shit inside our bodies is deadly. But I'm a force to be reckoned with. If anything, it's only giving me the will to do what I haven't done in my life,"

"Like what?"

Turning to face her, he stared at her, "Find you."

There wasn't a word to describe what that meant to her.

"Kill you."

Neither was there a way to express what she realized from his words. Change wasn't capable of touching evil. She was right, he'd always be what he always was.

"That's my entire existence, yet I've never fulfilled it," he made to leave her, saying to her one last thing, "If the Chemical X doesn't kill either of us, we may end up killing each other."

"Brick! Please! Why not help each other?" He was growing farther away, until she couldn't spot him any more in the raining sky.

Faintly the sounds of soft paws came up behind her. She looked behind her to see the stray cat, meowing as it begged for food. On the verge of life, the cat approached, giving itself up to Blossom. She pet the cat, weary of what it may do, if it was all just a front to scratch her again.

If anything, she wishfully wanted to be scratched, she needed a new form of pain, not the one she was experiencing at that moment.

Dexter was intelligent, witty, but also narcissistic. It was his best and worst quality of his character. He swept her off her feet when he spoke so confidently, even giving her a sense of security to appreciate herself and all she did. But he soon began to say hurtful words, putting her down, telling her crime fighting wasn't all the world revolved around.

She soon spent less time in strategizing to protect Townsville, and more time in the school books. She'd always been an advocate for pursuing an education, but she never planned to make a living out of it, only because she was different. She had a gift.

A gift Dexter confessed that he didn't want his children to inherit. How could she want to be with a man who called her entire existence a "poison"? Picking herself away from her thoughts, she trotted home, aware of her decision on her relationship with Dexter.

The Professor was down in the lab in the basement when she arrived, and she nearly forgot about the lingering question as she passed the door.

"Come in," he called at the sound of a knock.

Blossom opened the door just to poke her head in, "I hope I'm not a bother, Professor,"

"Of course not," he switched a magnifying lens situated on the table before him, "I'm just figuring out this solution, but I always have time for my girls,"

She smiled, fading back into a frown once she spoke, "Professor... Since I have Chemical X... Will I die?"

She asked so bluntly, the Professor choked on his breath. She flew in to grab him his glass of water he struggled to get. He drank a gulp, wondering why on earth she'd ask such a thing out of the blue.

"Blossom, what makes you think you'll die?"

"Well, I—I read that Chemical X was a poison,"

His lips thinned, "It is, but not for you. You didn't die when it made you, and you won't die anytime soon, I promise,"

She pecked his forehead, "Thank-you, Professor. I'm going to head onto bed, now,"

He smiled as she left the basement, leaving him with a frown as he turned in his chair to dig into a locked cabinet with a bevy of different liquids. Out of all the glass in the cabinet, one was empty. He grabbed it, reading the label he'd written over a decade ago.

"Cure," he chuckled, "Dexter is going to make her the happiest Powerpuff as soon as he tells her,"

Upstairs, Blossom lay on her bed, headphones over her ears and a sketch book on her lap. She usually passed the time by doodling what she felt, what she couldn't tell the Professor. Drawing brought her into a serene mood, she hardly noticed that as she drew, she was beginning to press harder and harder onto the paper.

The led of the pencil broke from the weight, making her realize her reality, and she stood up to sharpen her pencil.

"Cheap pencils," she dug inside her desk, "I had my best pencils in that stupid bag that that dumb Rowdyruff jerk has,"

She fumbled around her drawers, searching for a sharpener, "Great! When I need it, it's nowhere,"

"Blossom!" Bubbles knocked on her door.

"I'm busy, Bubs! What is it?"

She sang, "Your lover boy is here! Dexter is outside!"

His name soured her even more.

"Bubs, tell him I'm busy, I'm not in the mood,"

"Ok, but... He's dressed up real nice, are you sure you two didn't have a date planned?"

"Crud...," she sighed.

She'd forgotten about today. Or more than likely it didn't matter to her anymore, not after the traumatizing chamber, and his choice of words. He destroyed her, he made her insecurities return to her ten fold, and not once did he try to call her to apologize.

Bubbles moved aside as Blossom opened her door and walked out, following her quietly, interested in what exactly was happening.

She opened the door, a suited Dexter carrying a bouquet of pink roses in his hand, "Dexter, I don't think we—"

Then he held out a book bag in his other hand, and it caught her eye like a needle in a hay stack, "Is that..."

"Oh, this? Yeah, some guy told me it was yours, said you left it behind in the storm," he handed her the bag, unnoticing of her lost expression, "Said you knew him,"

"That's...," she thought about her rival, "that's very sweet of you..., but I don't know who you're talking about,"

"You have to, he found it, knows it belongs to you, so you should thank him," Dexter smiled, looking at her attire.

"Maybe...,"

"Well... Are you ready?"

She looked herself over, "...I lost track of time, give me a few minutes,"

Dexter gladly permitted, walking inside to wait patiently for Blossom as she went to dress appropriately for a date. Her anniversary date.

Yet she simply threw the bag on her bedroom floor, and followed right after, burying her head in her hands and knees.

Nearly an hour passed before Blossom came downstairs, dressed in a gracious, subtle gown. Dexter smiled brightly at her, amazed at how simple a dress could become so extraordinary on her.

"Stunning," he complimented, extending his hand to hers, and leading her out to his car.

"Be safe, and please keep your hands to yourself," the Professor said, a hint of threat in his voice.

"Will do, Doctor Professor Utonium," he shook his hand, "It is my pleasure to have spent this long with Blossom,"

"It's a pleasure to see Blossom with someone who isn't out stealing and committing crime,"

Blossom looked away from the two.

"You're a good boy, Dexter," he gave a kiss to Blossom's forehead, "Now, go, before it gets any later. Ten o'clock, not a minute later,"

"Understood," Dexter said, as he and Blossom left to their destination.

The car ride was silent. On her part. Dexter talked continuously of his invention to cure Chemical X, stating out his plans for their bright future, not forgetting to mention the success he'd have to his name if the cure is successful.

"And after all that is settled and I am printed in the history books," he paused, parking beside the curb of an extravagant restaurant, then twisting his fingers between hers, "We'll marry and live happily ever after,"

She tore away, finally regaining a sense of control, "Dexter, I'm not going to marry you,"

He was so shocked, he still had yet to turn off the car. Only looking at her as if he'd seen something otherworldly, he had all the knowledge of forming words forgotten by what she'd said.

"I'm not going to marry you, I—" Blossom looked to her feet, "I don't want to...,"

"Well..., this..., this is a shock, Bloss," Dexter scratched the back of his neck, "If you told me that back there, I'd probably have crashed, I mean, this really is a big surprise,"

She turned his way when she heard him sniffle.

"I don't like it," he looked away, then turned to her with grim, puffed eyes, "Are you playing a joke on me? Because if you are, now's the time to say so,"

Blossom stared at his tragic, struck face, watching as he wiped his tears with his sleeve. He shook his head, reaching to shift the gear in the car as he reached toward her sharply.

She gasped, thinking he'd made an effort to hurt her, but nothing came of it, only the click of a locked car door now unlocked.

Sitting still, she jolted from his voice, "Well? What are you waiting for? You can fly! Fly yourself home!"

Doing just that, she stumbled out, hearing the rubber of the wheels burn against the cement as he drove off without her closing the door.

Goosebumps tickled her skin from the cold air against her bare arms and chest, rubbing her arms for a source of warmth. In her rush, she didn't grab a jacket. Her high heels tapped as she walked away, ignoring the diners seated outside staring at her, questioning what they just witnessed.

She flew just inches off the floor, wondering if she should fly home, or fly elsewhere for privacy. She figured home wasn't a good idea, Professor would only worry and ask questions.

Continuing to float her way home, she felt the overwhelming amount of regret washing over her. Now was too late to pretend it was all a joke. Maybe the Professor was correct, Dexter was the best she'd find, and he sincerely cared for her well being.

But he wasn't what she wanted. She wouldn't deny that she once felt the same for him, yet it dwindled, and now faded without a trace left to remember it.

Trust in what the Professor had told her made her push the thoughts of Chemical X behind her. He said she'd be alright.

Not even that made her feel alright.

"Lost?"

His voice startled her only because she was alone in the night, unaware of her surroundings due to her constant thinking.

"No, and I'm not in the mood to talk,"

Remaining silent for as long as she could until the mysteries finally nagged her, she spoke to him as he kept a distance at her side, "You make me question so many things."

"I'm not surprised. If we're one in the same, we must feel the same,"

"No," she scoffed, pointing her nose elsewhere, "no, we're definitely not. What do you feel beside destruction? I'm everything nice and you're everything mean, there's nothing we share,"

"We share a poisoned existence,"

This caught her by surprise. He was mentioning it. She couldn't let the opportunity fall behind her.

But he continued before she could ask anything, "I don't think you know exactly why I've returned,"

"No, you've made that clear. To destroy me,"

"That's what I plan to do before I die,"

"What, to take me with you?" She began to laugh, something she hadn't done with her rival, "It all sounds like some twisted Romeo and Juliet,"

He ignored her laughter, "I'll leave the taking to your wimp and—"

A trigger from the events of the night made her mood dissolve, "My wimp? And what exactly have you done all this time you've returned, Brick?"

She stopped her gravitation and stood flat on the ground, "Three times now and not once have I seen you try to destroy me. You're teasing me, following me, toying with me for your own pleasure."

His back faced her.

Angry, she went on, creeping up on him, "Chemical X won't kill me, and neither will you. I bet you feel accomplished because you know who means what in my life."

She now could feel her breath against his back, she wasn't backing away from the proximity they shared, "But how much closer will you get to me before you do what Mojo crafted you for? He's gone. If anything, you owe him nothing. Just give it up. If we're one in the same, as you say, you'd understand how foolish destroying me is."

Without a thought of the consequences, she gripped his jacket sleeve, using her might to turn him around, the scent of their breath within their own air as they couldn't restrain from looking to each other.

"You're here on entirely different accords," there was a pause as she found herself tracing his face, "If you wished me dead, you wouldn't let any of these chances escape."

"There is no justification of why I haven't acted in the right moments, you're right," he muttered out.

Their stares, fixated on anything but between orbs, fell onto the only features capable of connection.

"It's hard not to think more into this," she whispered out, "I can't help but feel as if you're carefully planning all of this—"

"Whatever you're feeling, don't doubt it."

"Doubt it? I don't think I can ignore it, not after what's happened tonight. This," she suddenly broke their shared vision, realizing what they'd just been exchanging, "it's perfect enough to destroy me."

His knuckled clenched beside his sides.

"Why do I feel already destroyed tonight than I've—"

She couldn't continue. She couldn't breath. His hands were gripping her arms, and his body was crushed against her thin frame. Every inch of her was suffocated against his figure, as she felt his nose grace her skin, and his lips mingling with hers.

There must have been years of experience behind the tenderness he transfixed onto her lips, because her eyelids blackened her sight, and her will to fight back failed to respond.

He muttered her name—the sweet sound of her name—between their breaths, his hands now discovering the areas they fit into upon the curves of her body.

"Brick...," her voice fell apart from his caresses to her neck.

It broke a part in whimpers and gasps as she held on to his body, feeling their connection intensify. There was hint of force, a restraint of delving further overpowered by will.

The fibers of her hair cursed by the massage of his fingers, as her own craved to sense more of what had changed from childish, large, red eyes.

"Why is this happening?" Her voice nearly lost in his own breath.

They parted, and she felt the cold return too fast as they did.

"I'm exactly what it takes to destroy you, Powderpuff," he pressed her against him, "Unlike when I first met you once again, it doesn't seem as if you're afraid of it, anymore,"

Beginning to understand what she had done, she pushed him away, "This is how you plan to destroy me? Fumble with my emotions when I'm vulnerable?"

His face cast down, with his hands slumped back to his sides. She shook her head in disbelief, wondering how peculiar it was that although she knew what had conspired was wrong, she hadn't felt any sort of way afterwards.

"Maybe you are right," she began to breath rapidly, panicking from all she began to realize, "There is bad me! But it's funny how when I'm finally told about it, you show up! What do you want from me?"

Still with his head down, she approached him, pushing him harshly, "What do you want? For me to feel as if I have nothing else to live for? That this... This poison in my body will make me turn out just like you?"

"Don't you feel it?"

"No! I don't feel a thing similar to what you feel!" She continued to push him, taking advantage of the absence of reaction he gave, "It may be bad, this Chemical X in my body, but I'll swear to you that you and I will never be the same."

Then he reacted, his posture regaining its might against her abuse, and his voice serious, "What's truly bad about you is that you know nothing about it,"

"About Chemical X?"

"For someone who's surrounded by science, you're incompetent to it all,"

"Don't start acting like my 'weak, limp, and pathetic' boyfriend," she laughed mockingly at him, recalling how his anger reminded her of Dexter, "Just because I'm not a science freak like you two, doesn't mean I'm ignorant about it!"

"I know what you're feeling, and you're less than ignorant for thinking you'll live with it in your body,"

"Is that the connection we have? You can read my mind?"

"Don't push me," he moved toward her, slight threat appearing in his fists.

"I'm going to tell you this once, Brick," she made to meet him in the middle, "I'm not going to spend most of my life being who I am, then becoming something that I'm not. I don't walk, I fly. I don't run, I fight. I don't hide, I stand my ground. And I'm doing so by saying that I won't take anything away from my identity,"

Without warning, his hands reached up to her neck, but little force was pressed into her skin. Instead, he circled his thumbs into the hallow of her throat. She knew he must have learned how to control himself before returning to Townsville.

Through the touch of his fingers, it was as if he worried he'd hurt her if he hadn't.

"That's what you want me to do," her voice was soft, angelic, and her hands reached up to his, "You want me to be your less. Not your equal. So you can achieve what your mere existence revolves around,"

"You've done something to me," it was a growl, low and hostile.

"What could I possibly do to you that you wouldn't let me do?"

A strong gust of wind blew around her, and he was gone. Suddenly, she realized, she didn't want to be alone.

"How was your anniversary? It just sounds so romantic," Bubbles dreamingly asked, "dating for so long and celebrating with a romantic date,"

"Ick, it sounds like a horror movie to me, and not the ones I enjoy watching," Buttercup stuffed popcorn in her mouth, returning her attention to her show.

"If you call breaking up pretty fabulous, then it was splendidly fabulous!" Blossom clapped her hands together.

Buttercup's jaw dropped, and a few popcorn pieces fell out, "What? You broke up with Dexter-Nerdster?"

"Don't call him that," Blossom looked to her.

She shook her head, "Must be the hormones,"

"I'm sure it was a misunderstanding, Bloss, you and Dexter love each other," Bubbles smiled.

"Not anymore, I'm done with him," she looked between her two sisters, "I have to tell you something,"

They became focused onto her, as she seemed to have a secret, and the girls shared some common interests: having secrets, sharing secrets, and spilling secrets (mainly Buttercup).

"Dexter took me the science facility earlier, and he showed me this machine, it looked like a metal chamber from sci-fi novels," she grew uncomfortable from the memory, "It's a Chemical X cleanser, he invented it for me, to get rid of the Chemical X from my system so we could have children, and so that I wouldn't die from prolong exposure from it, since it's poison...,"

The girls stopped their attention to Blossom, now vaguely intrigued.

"Why do you two look like you don't care?"

"First, Dexter didn't invent nada, it was Professor," Buttercup came to speak first, "Second, we already knew, but Dexter wanted to surprise you,"

She felt somewhat betrayed from her entire family, "But... But it's absurd,"

"No, no it's not," Bubbles placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's a cure for us, we won't have to worry about a young death, we could live our lives out until we're old,"

"And besides, we've stopped crime fighting years ago, we don't need our powers," Buttercup added, "and flying isn't all that great,"

Blossom caught herself from the surprise of Buttercup's opinion, "But it's a part of our identity, it's what made us who we are,"

Buttercup laughed shortly, "It's what we used to be. No one refers to us as the Powerpuff Girls, no one even treats us as if we're special. We might as well be normal, like everyone else,"

"You don't think we're special?"

"I think we're on a road to die if we don't cure ourselves,"

"We've lived this long with it, why is it suddenly a threat? We've fought gigantic sea monsters without spending a minute in the hospital, we don't worry about death with it now, what makes tomorrow any different?"

Buttercup threw her bowl down, "Do you hear yourself? You're defending a poison that's killing you because you think you're special because of it?"

"It's part of who I am, I'm not like everyone else, and that's what I'm proud of," she began to hold back tears.

"That's sincere and all, but it's what's good for us, we won't live much longer with it,"

Blossom began to cry, losing will to stand up as she sat down. Bubbles rubbed her back.

"I don't think she knows, Buttercup...," she looked to Buttercup.

"Bloss," Buttercup touched her hand, "I'm not trying to be hard on you, it's ultimately your decision, but if you don't do it, you're only thinking selfishly,"

Blossom listened, but wanted little of what she was saying to mean anything more than words.

"We love you, you're our sister, we grew up together,"

Bubbles rubbed her shoulders as she asked, "Remember the Rowdyruff Boys?"

She looked up to Bubbles, a certain ruff claiming her thoughts.

"After we stopped crime fighting and Mojo and Professor made a truce to keep Townsville at peace, they fled to Citiesville and lived their lives there,"

Blossom was now feeling a wave of dread, and a part of her knew what Buttercup was planning to say, but she wasn't going to believe it.

He was alive, they were alive, it must mean the boys were, too.

"When Mojo made the boys, he used the purest form of Chemical X, made from nature and not in a lab," Buttercup sighed, "that's why they didn't live for very long,"

Bubbles continued from where she paused, "They died from poison exposure to their blood flow when they were fifteen,"

"You're lying...,"

"Mojo even brought their bodies to Professor, to ensure that they were the Rowdyruff Boys,"

Buttercup now felt tears of her own, "Professor never told you because back then, you were so happy with Dexter, and you were doing the best in school, he didn't want to tell you because he knew it would affect your happiness,"

"Then why tell you? What's so different about your happiness from mine? They were as much as part of my life as they were yours,"

"Bloss, do you know what I have to think of when I think of my first kiss?" Bubbles trembled in her voice.

Buttercup came in, "Professor didn't even tell me until two years later, I was shocked, I really didn't like them, but they were young. They could have changed,"

Blossom stood up, "I don't believe you,"

Buttercup tried to grab her to console her, but she tore from her, infuriated.

"After all these years, you think telling me now, coincidently when Professor and Dexter discover a Chemical X cure, that this fabrication will make me change my mind!"

"But it's true, Bloss, the boys are dead," Bubbles tried to calm her down.

She shook her head, denying their facades. She made to leave, but Buttercup held her in a hug, doing all she could to calm her down. They reacted all too similar, because hidden away in their memories, the girls knew the one secret they'd never tell was the true feelings they could only remember from the boys that fateful day.

"You're not the only one who's hurting, Bloss, but we have to move on!" Buttercup lost her embrace, and Blossom flew faster than they could react, "Blossom! Blossom!"

There was no more turning back, she realized she needed to run away. Home wasn't were she had to pretend to be happy, home wasn't were she needed to be stripped of who she was, lied to to be brainwashed, or ignored.

Flying farther and farther away, until she could no longer see her sisters' beams of light behind her, she headed to the city park. The bench was no longer lonely, but she had taken its place. She had no one to turn to, not even the Professor. It was his doing, this entire cure, and possibly the story of the Rowdyruff Boys' deaths.

"How is it that everything changed so suddenly?" She asked herself, looking down to her reflection, the pitch black of the water in the nighttime reflecting her every inch of pain.

"I'm not going to do it, this is me," her tears fell like rainy days that passed, "I'd rather die being true to myself than live lying about who I am,"

"Blossom?"

She faced behind her to see Dexter, his nose red and his face stained.

There was a cramped mind, but enough room for her to say what she'd been needing to, "Dexter, I—"

"Save it, I get it,"

"No, you don't. I didn't mean to tell you tonight, not the way I did,"

He blew his nose into a crumpled tissue, making her sigh, "I understand. You have cold feet,"

Blinking at his explanation, she quickly shook her head, but he continued to explain.

"I'm not mad at you, as a man of science, it's perfectly natural to feel nervous when marriage is discussed,"

"But that's not it, Dexter," she interrupted.

"It's not?"

"No, it's just that—" she thought more about what she decided to say, "I've been feeling dishonest—"

"You cheated on me?"

She paused, "I, no, at least..."

Still so fresh in her memory, she could close her eyes and never skip a beat of how it felt to kiss someone she hadn't kissed in such a way before. Questions ran through her of whether or not she was guilty, of doing such an action when she hadn't thought twice nor once about Dexter as it happened.

"I don't know if I did," she finally confessed.

"How do you not know if you've abused my trust?"

"Because you threw me out of the car, you left me on the street, that's not exactly what I'd label as a happy couple or a couple at all,"

He swallowed a lump of fear, "You mean, it happened tonight?"

Understanding what she mentioned, she remained quiet, looking away.

"With who?"

Nothing vocal came from her direction. Disbelief carried him to a conclusion that he never thought she'd act out, even if tempted by seduction.

"Ok, I won't press you any further, you've made it clear just who you are," the hurt he felt changed him, "I hope you enjoy the rest of your life. I bet you have little to regret, it won't affect someone who's bound to die and they're aware of it,"

"Listen to me, I didn't do it to hurt you,"

"Then why? Because you felt lonely? Is that the cliche excuse you have?"

"I haven't felt lonely in a long time. I've actually felt truly happy these years, it's hard to think what I am will be the death of me,"

"Keep thinking that way," he now looked away from her, making his way farther from her, "You'll have all the time to think about yourself. I won't be a part of your life anymore."

Strange, was all she could only use to describe it all. How could one's life completely change in less than a week, was all strange. Especially when it was because she didn't want to lose her identity.

Chemical X, the reason she was entirely unique, turned into the entire reason she was doomed.

"You do a lot to people, just as much as you did for them," he snickered, amusing himself, "The good is always dishonest, aren't they?"

She wasn't startled.

She wasn't even bothered by his voice.

Instead, he was all she wanted to hear, all she wanted to see.

She flew to his form before she could wake up from this dream, if it were so, and he was truly gone. If this man before her wasn't even a man, but a figment, a haze—her mere imagination, taking her away from a devastating reality.

But the way his flesh felt so ignited, and the way the veins in his lips pumped with liveliness against her own, there was no such thing as ghostly, or death about him.

"Brick...," she managed to say so little in between the space of their lips, "Is this dishonesty?"

"What we're doing? Or what you've done?"

"Neither,"

"Then what?"

"Keeping you from doing what you promised yourself you'd do,"

It was the look he expressed to her that silenced her. Fate, was all he suggested made it turn out this way. And neither her being more, equal, or less, would change the outcome of what they sensed with one another.


End file.
